Team pursuit specialist Ed Clancy will miss the track European Championships in Switzerland next month due to injury. British Cycling announced the 30-year-old suffered a slipped disk in his back after training, forcing him out of defending his championship wins the previous two years alongside the British National team.
"It's one of those freak accidents," men's endurance coach Heiko Salzwedel told Sky Sports.com. "He just turned to pick up his bag and his disc slipped.
"This means that his hopes for the European Championships, which were supposed to be his highlight for World Championship qualification, are now over."
Clancy has dominated the discipline as part of the two-time Olympic gold medal-winning and world record-holding Great Britain Team Pursuit team. He was also a bronze medallist in the omnium in 2012. Mark Cavendish recently returned to the track alongside Bradley Wiggins, both hoping to qualify for the Rio Olympic Games. Cavendish is competing with Clancy for the sole qualifying spot Great Britain has in the omnium.
Clancy remains a front-runner as the strongest man for both the team pursuit and the omnium. There is no word yet on how long he will be out of competition.
The UCI Track World Championships are set for March 2-6, 2016 in London.
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Kennaugh breaks Boardman's Isle of Man TT record
British road race champion Peter Kennaugh broke a 22-year-old Isle of Man time trial record held by Chris Boardman on Sunday. The time trial is held over the famous course - a 37.5 mile route that takes in a climb up and over the mountain road. With a time of 1:23:48, Kennaugh was six seconds faster than the mark Boardman had set back in 1993 on a custom-made Lotus.
"Taking the record means a great deal to me, being from the island," Kennaugh told BBC Sport. "Especially with it having been held for so long by one of the most prolific time triallists of his generation.
"Even now I still remember being inspired by Chris when he wore the yellow jersey at the Tour de France in the mid-nineties."
An event sponsor awarded the Sky rider £3,000 for his achievement.
Finetto out of competition for eight days after cortisone injection
Southeast rider Mauro Finetto has been forced to miss the upcoming series of Italian one-day races after receiving a cortisone injection to treat a wasp sting.
The Italian was stung during a training ride on Sunday and such was the severity of his allergic reaction, he had to go to hospital to receive the treatment. The team has announced its compliance with UCI medical rules, which state that a local injection of a glucocorticosteroid must result in an eight-day withdrawal from competition.
Finetto will miss Wednesday's Tre Valli Varesine, along with Milan-Turin on Friday, the Gran Piemonte on Saturday, and the Tour of Lombardy on Sunday.
Sven Reutter signs two-year contract with CULT Energy
19-year-old Sven Reutter from Germany signed a two-year contract beginning in 2016 with Cult Energy-Stölting Group. The team is hoping the young, tactical rider will develop in to a strong all-rounder. Reutter has yet to win a race as an U23 rider but as a junior had several strong finishes in Germany, including an overall stage race in 2014.
"It is a huge opportunity for me to turn professional after the first year as a U23 rider," Reutter said. "Of course, I’ve been in doubt whether or not the step-up comes too soon. But even though there will be a lot of changes, many things will remain somewhat familiar."
CULT Energy sporting director Jochen Hahn added: "This season, Sven has convinced me of being able to take the next step. He has proven to be extremely versatile, always useful during the races and a reliable teammate. It’s an early step for him but I think that he will live up to our expectations."
